Debt To An Enemy
by Takuma
Summary: AU from The Chase. Iroh is dying, but there is someone who can reverse a terrible fate for the elder firebender. There's only one problem... Zuko fears the worst allowing his over protective instints to come in. Will this harm any ties the Avatar makes?


I am SOOO MAD! How DARE AZULA! (Sorry for the spoiler to "The Chase"), But HOW DARE AZULA KILL... or morally wound IROH! That little biznotch! I wanna kill her! I wanna watch her BURN! Burn!

And Katara! I am so ANGRY at her! Why didn't SHE heal IROH! She was RIGHT THERE! I know she ASKED Zuko! But STILL! She should have tried HARDER!

... As you can see... I'm a little... mad. But this is why I wrote this fanfic! Alternative universe for that episode!

One-shot.

Please read on.

- - - - - - - - -

Debt To An Enemy

Iroh wheezed as he held onto the precious moments. His niece, Azula, had just played a dirty tick to escape from the six surrounding her. The four were the Avatar and his travel companions; the other two were both banished Fire Nation Royals.

Zuko's knees gave way as he bowed his uncle; his body shaking from sobs and unwanted horrors that were coming true. Such a dark hole in his chest from where Azula shot her blue fire to her uncle began to blossom crimson blood. It mixed with the sand and dirt the old man lay under.

The siblings from the water tribe, the young earthbender, and the Avatar silently watched as Zuko kneeled beside his beloved relative. This was the man who had treated and loved Zuko like a son. He was the one who kept the banished prince from doing the unthinkable; he was the one who gave the young man the attention the Fire Lord should have given his son. How dare the wretched Fire Nation Princess do such a thing...

How dare she...

Katara paused for a moment as she grabbed her water skin. She opened the container and pulled out a stream of water wrapping it around her hand forming the soothing and chilled healing glove. She looked towards the stunned prince.

"Zuko..." she took a step towards him. "I can help-"

"LEAVE ME!" shouted the young firebender shooting a stream of ember at the four friends.

The four leaped back avoiding the fire as Zuko continued to protectively lean to his dying uncle. He shook his head. Why had he been so STUPID? He should have known his sister would have made some cheap shot like that to escape! They all nearly had defeated her! Yes... her had to admit... with out the Avatar and his friends, they could have taken out his sister... but they hesitated.

THEY HESITATED!

Katara shrieked as she avoided the flames; the healing glove slipped off of her fingers. She shook her head as she looked to her friends. They were starting their dash away from the broken fire prince. She should join them too... Zuko could go crazy on them all... yet...

The waterbender glanced to Zuko. He still kneeled down to his uncle. She could sense his breathing shallow as the blood began to seep into his lungs. Death was only moments away.

She snapped back to her friends who paused momentarily very curious as to why she hadn't joined their small squad. She shook her head burdened with what to do next. Now that they saw her with her dilemma... she just...

Katara gritted her teeth in anger and frustration as she began stomping over towards the two firebender. She bended some more water from the half full water skin and formed another glove. Zuko might have been a stubborn prince and over protective of who he cared for... but Katara's will to heal this man would prevail... even if she had to receive a few burns and bruises from this man. Anything he might throw at her could later be healed... what was a little pain anyways? Right?

What was that saying? No pain... no gain?

"Zuko; let me see it."

The firebender remained in his place.

The waterbender continued taking careful steps towards the two. Fear now stared to wedge its way into her nerves, as she became closer and closer. Not now... she needed to do this favor for the old firebender. He had helped them back at the North Pole just before Zhao had killed the white moon spirit! She needed to help him!

"Zuko... if you could move to the side-"

She noticed another stream of fire thrown at her. She pulled more water from the water skin forming steam from the energy the prince angrily tossed at her. Before she understood what he was doing, she felt her wrists held in a crushing grip. Another healing glove fell from her grasp, and the water slid down her arms and Zuko's hands. Katara gritted her teeth as she glanced down to the dying man... he only had two more minutes... she could feel it.

The liquid filling his lungs was what she could sense... Iroh would die because of his own blood...

"Zuko..."

The fire in his eyes burned deeper than any fire he could ever possess. The pain in his heart was growing deeply as was the anger and hatred for the group he had been searching for.

"I said. Get. AWAY!"

Katara winced as she felt the breath coming from the mouth of the prince. It almost felt like he was breathing fire! That might also give her a burn!

"Zuko! Let me see him!" she desperately pleaded, "I can heal him!"

She felt the grip become tighter as was the warmth of his fingers becoming hotter. If they became hotter... hotter like fire, her skin would melt! "Shut up peasant!"

"It's true Zuko! I'm a healer!" pleaded the waterbender, her blue eyes almost in tears from frustration and pain, "Let me heal him!"

"You lying peasant!" shouted the prince as his hands became red. Katara gritted her teeth as she felt her wrists ad hands become numb. She could smell the burning flesh and blood dripping down her tan colored skin. "GET AWAY."

Katara suddenly felt a heavy wind gust its way in between the firebender and waterbender breaking them both away. Katara screamed as the nerves were reawakened and seared her with excruciating pain. Aang pointed his staff at the half crazed firebender and brought his hand up preparing to attack again if needed. "Go Katara!" shouted the Avatar.

Zuko's eyes narrowed as he leaped up and began running towards the waterbender as she made her way towards his uncle. The gusts of wind brought him back, but the sheer determination he had for protecting his uncle was stronger. Aang, still fatigued from the lack of sleep, desperately tried to keep Zuko back without killing him! This was one determined prince! The Avatar averted his eyes to the side noticing Katara slowly bend some more water out. Sokka also ran to his side with a boomerang in hand. His vision turned back to the prince.

He gasped with Zuko broke through the wind and brought raging flames to the two teen boys.

But he was stopped when a stone formation encased the prince of fire into the earth. Toph's fingers were curled as encased the prince in stone. She, like Aang, didn't want to kill him. She just wanted to encase him in stone momentarily. And learning from the episode earlier in how easily Azula was able to break through her stone walls, she made sure the stone was at least four times thick to keepZuko in.

The prince was shouting curses left and right as he struggled in the rock desperately trying to become free. And when his eyes spotted Katara's hands on his uncle, he fell into a fit of rage. He was helpless though, but he still exhaled fire from his mouth and nose to show his blinding anger.

Katara ignored the curses and shouts as well as the pain she predicted to bring life back into the man. It was a surprise she needed to use both of her hands to fix this deadly wound. She used one hand to force out the blood and fluids making sure they went back into the veins and vessels while the other hand knitted back the tissues of his broken skin. She hadn't seen such a nasty wound, and she wished such a man, as this, had never endured it.

Her energy was slowly depleting as she concentrated harder to heal Iroh. If only she had healed her hands first... then maybe this wouldn't have been so difficult. But Iroh needed the healing more than she even though she was starting to feel dizzy.

Finally she was able to knit the lung tissue together as well as the vital arteries and veins... just when the dizziness became over whelming...

Katara brought her hands to her head momentarily before her body fell limp to the side of the man who would live.

Zuko continued shouting his curses and swears as he threatened the Avatar, watertribe warrior, and earthbending girl painful and gruesome deaths. Sokka turned his head to the side to see Katara's progress. He gasped when he observed her body fall over limply. "Katara!" he shouted dashing to her.

Aang turned his head also after hearing his friends' shout. His eyes widened in horror and surprise at his friends sudden faint; he too dropped his stance to make sure she was okay. Toph remained stationary as she watched the prince carefully with her earthbending. She also felt the earth where the two benders lay in an unconscious state. Her stoic face showed the smallest hint of a smile when she felt their strong heartbeats and rhythmic breathing patterns.

She stood up straight and turned to the prince as he paused his rants and shouts. He observed them with a deadly calmness. The young girl turned her head to the side, her clouded eyes glancing over towards the prince of fire. "Just to let you know, Zuko, Katara healed your uncle enough so that he would live."

Zuko's eyes widened for a moment of surprise. It was soon abandoned when he gritted his teeth once more. The girl's cold eyes turned away as she "watched" her travel companions for a moment. She then turned back to Zuko. She could feel the stone moving from the struggling of the prince, but she ignored it. Toph gave a simple "stomp" releasing the Fire Nation prince from his temporary prison. The earthbender could sense how stunned he was to not attack them. A smile graced her lips as she began taking carefuly steps to her new group of friends.


End file.
